Raptor and Rapture Ch. 03: Sabre Ballet

"Come on... how do I work this stupid magic?" Tarquin mumbled to himself as he waved his branded hand in front of the bowl of water. Ne'shita had told him to summon her when he had specific questions about something, but it was the first time that he'd actually tried.

He was standing within the room of a cheap, yet well up-kept inn. He had no idea how many days he was going to stay in Carth, and though he had a little extra spending money, he didn't want to waste it on room and board.

The bowl of water he stood in front of was a simple face washing bowl, the kind that inns usually provided to patrons as a quick alternative to a full bath. Tarquin had been standing in front of it for less than five minutes, but already he was beginning to get impatient.

Finally, after the dozenth time of waving his branded hand over the water, it began to shimmer. A moment later, the surface of the water became almost concave, and a voice emanated from it.

"Well, well, if it isn't the savior of the world... how are you, my champion?" Ne'shita's voice rang out from the water, as sarcastic and sultry as ever.

Tarquin ignored her question, "I'm in Carth, and I'm looking for the second princess. There's a problem though: the so called president has nine daughters... nine, Ne'shita," the mercenary repeated with exasperation. "How am I supposed to know which one to fuck?"

"Tsk tsk, Tarquin," the goddess chuckled, "Why are you in such a rush? Why not bed all of them?"

Tarquin's face became blank, "I don't have that kind of time, and I certainly don't want to have to fight in another arena just to fuck some random woman."

"Oh yes, I heard about your little escapade. Very impressive; I must say, I picked the right man for the job. How was Crizet?"

Tarquin sighed, but smiled despite his mood, "She was something else, honestly. It's nice to know that there are women in the world like that."

"Yes indeed, but how hard they are to find," her voice rang out from the bowl with a bit of fake pity. "I'll answer your question with another question: why do you think it's princesses specifically that I'm asking you to lie with? Why not just some random prostitute whom you could pay to spread her legs?"

Tarquin blinked. He hadn't really thought about it, he'd just assumed that it needed to be someone important, "I don't know and I don't care to guess; tell me."

"You're really no fun. Fine, fine, let me tell you: I need you to fuck these specific women because they are apart of a very particular bloodline that traces back to old magic. Every time you spill your lovely seed inside of them, I get one step closer to solving this puzzle, and you get one step closer to what we agreed upon."

"Very well," Tarquin pawed his chin, "So, out of the nine, which is the magic blooded maiden?"

"I don't know, exactly."

Tarquin's eyebrow twitched, "Toying with me again?"

"No, not this time. Truly, I don't know who you're looking for or what her name is, but I know she's in Carth and she must be the daughter of Havro Neilson. She will be silver haired and her eyes will be stark blue; she's distantly related to Obran Wyuvish."

"Obran the sky smith?" Tarquin asked incredulously.

"Yes, who else? Regardless, you need to find her and lie with her, and all of the same rules apply as before. She has to want you, mercenary; you can't force yourself on her."

"Yes, I remember the terms," Tarquin grumbled. "She has to be completely taken by me and swooning like a young virgin maiden on a warm summer's night."

Ne'shita laughed, "Exactly. Now, if there's nothing else, I believe I've given you all the information I am capable of giving you. The rest should be a simple matter of asking around town."

Tarquin took a deep breath and was about to say goodbye to the goddess when he remembered something, "Wait, I do have one question."

"Hm, yes, what is it?"

"Crizet asked me if she was going to have my child... is that a possibility?"

Ne'shita chuckled, "Well of course it's a possibility. You are both healthy and virile people; it's only natural that the possibility is there. If you're asking me if I'm deliberately causing these women to become pregnant, then the answer is no."

Tarquin was less satisfied with her answer than he thought he would be, but he decided not to press it further, "Very well, I'll continue with my mission. Thanks."

"Yes, of course." Oh, and Tarquin..." the surface of the water rippled as her voice began to echo hollowly, "You don't have to finish inside of them, dear. You could make them swallow it... if they're willing."

The water became still then and Tarquin blinked several times as he heard the most distant sounds of laughter skipping across the inside of the bowl.

Tarquin spent the entire morning going about the supposed lesser part of town. He spoke with nearly every merchant he saw, and gathered as much information about Havro and his daughters as he could. It seemed that Havro was a strict father, some would even say, obsessive, and he expected each of his nine daughters to to compete for the presidency when he decided to retire. Tarquin heard that each of the women were masters at something or another, and it seemed to him that they were as much a slave to their positions as they were to their father.

By the early afternoon, Tarquin had determined where one of Havro's daughters usually loitered around, and he made his way there atop Axis.

A few people glanced at him as he passed, but most people looked away as quickly as they saw him. Men who rode raptors were less of a novelty in the center of the continent, and though they still weren't regarded highly by any means, they were paid less attention to.

The cobbled streets turned to grass and field as Tarquin rode outside the eastern gate and into the outlying country. It was a warm day in late spring, and many people could be seen here and there riding their horses and enjoying the weather.

The mercenary had been directed to a mattatti course close to the outskirts of town, and he spotted it easily once he had made his way out of the gate.

As he drew closer, he could see the course more clearly. It was the largest and most complex mattatti course he'd ever seen, and he could see a few jockeys moving across the course as they practiced for their inevitable matches.

It had been a long time since Tarquin had even seen such a course, and as he approached the gate he slowed Axis and watched one of the rider's as they began running to course.

Mattatti was an old field game that was half obstacle course and half test of skill. A jockey would ride atop a raptor while wielding a single edged sword and make their their way through the course. The object of the game was to run through the obstacles in the fastest time possible, while also trying to cut as many mats as possible. It was a complex game that could be won by either pure speed, pure skill, or any combination of the two, and it was one of the world's largest international sports. Many riders would opt to run the course slower so they could gather more points on the mats, others would cut few mats and sprint through the course, but very few indeed attempted to do both at the same time.

The rider Tarquin watched, however, seemed to be attempting both. He watched with interest as the jockey flew through the course expertly, jumping their raptor over a raised bar before slicing through a mat placed on the right side and ducking beneath another obstacle. As the rider neared him, he saw that it was a woman, and he grinned as he realized that he must have found the woman he was told would be there.

The woman continued to breeze through the course, jumping and ducking beneath obstacles while she slashed over and behind her shoulder. A few spectators, most dressed in riding gear, watched her as she completed the course, and a few people clapped for her as she slowed her mount to a stop.

"Hey buddy, you wanna go brush shoulders with some of the well bred?" Tarquin patted Axis on the side.

The raptor huffed, seemingly unimpressed as Tarquin steered him through the short gate leading to the beginning of the course.

"Excuse me... can I help you?" A tall, thin man looked up at Tarquin with open distaste as he rode up on Axis.

The mercenary looked down at the man who stood on the ground and smiled, "Yes, I hope so. I'm looking for a woman named Vana, someone told me she might be here."

The man sneered, "What business do you have with her? This course is privately owned, you can't just waltz on in here and..."

The woman that Tarquin had watched a short moment before rode up to them and hailed the mercenary, "Good afternoon! Are you lost, sir?"

Tarquin tried not to giggle at the fact that he'd been called sir, "No, I don't think so. I was just talking to this fine gentleman here, and he told me that he thinks you're the best rider here."

The thin man stiffened as his jaw went slack.

"Oh, did he?" The woman laughed as she pulled off her riding helmet. She was broad shouldered and tall, and she had a full head of deep red hair that spilled down over her back as she shook her head to and fro.

Tarquin resisted the urge to frown. She was an incredibly beautiful woman, and she was just his type, but she wasn't the one he was looking for.

"I find it hard to believe that he said that about me," The woman cradled her helmet in her arm as she laughed again.

"I didn't," the man said curtly. "What I was telling him, was that this is a private course, and that complete strangers riding inbred raptors like this one," the man pointed, "Have no place here."

"Hey now, careful, he's sensitive," Tarquin patted Axis as he pouted his lips, "It's alright buddy, you're not inbred... at least, I don't think you are." The mercenary looked up at the woman and smiled, "I'm very sorry to barge in, but I think you're the person I'm looking for."

the redhead gave him a careful, courteous smile as she looked him over, "Maybe I am... what's the name?"

"My name or yours?" The mercenary laughed, "Tarquin is my name, and I think your name is Vana."

"How can you be sure that I'm Vana?" The woman asked a little coyly as she raised her eyebrow.

"Well, the person who told me that I could find you here said that you were the most beautiful woman on the course and that you were also the best."

The thin man was looking rather upset at having been ignored as he stepped up to Tarquin suddenly, "Do you really think you can..."

Harold, stop it already," The redhead cut him off. "He's not hurting anyone, and he's here to talk to me. Go do some exercises or something."

The thin man, who was apparently named Harold, glared at Tarquin before he walked off in a huff.

"Sorry about that, he's a little...uptight," the redhead smiled apologetically to Tarquin. "I'm Vana, sure enough, but your sweet talk isn't going to get very far with me. What do you want, stranger?"

The mercenary frowned slightly, "Ouch, right to the point then, eh?"

"Yep. I've only got a few days left until the next big match, and I don't have a lot of time to dilly dally, so unless you just came here to watch me ride, spit it out." She was still smiling, but Tarquin could tell that she was serious about getting back to her training.

"Well, I certainly don't want to waste your time, so I guess I'll just ask you straight on," he paused for a moment and smiled weakly, "I'm actually not looking for you exactly, but I'm looking for one of your sisters. I was hoping you could tell me where to find her."

Vana frowned slightly and looked just a tinge hurt, "Ah, I see. Well, what makes you think I'm going to tell you anything about my sisters, Tarquim?"

"Actually, it's Tarquin, with an n," the mercenary smiled at her, but his smile quickly disappeared when she saw that she was not amused. "I thought, maybe, you would tell me out of the goodness of your heart."

Vana snorted, "Try again." Her eyes narrowed, "So, I'm supposed to tell a total stranger, a suspicious stranger," her eyes emphasized the word, "the whereabouts of one of my sisters just because he asks? What do you want with her? Have you met her in the past? Do you even know which one your looking for, or how many of us there are?"

Tarquin felt his quick charm melting away, and he knew that he was going to lose his audience with the woman very quickly, "Honestly, I don't know anything about her, but she's the one with stark blue eyes."

Vana stared at him for a long moment before she flicked her reigns, "Good day, mister Tarquin, don't let the gate hit you on the way out."

Tarquin sighed, "C'mon, it's important."

"How important could it be? All I see is a strange man asking about one of my sisters to do gods know what to her. We have nothing further to discuss, leave..."

"Will you tell me if I beat your score?" Tarquin interjected quickly.

Vana turned slowly on her mount and glowered at him, "Beat my score? At what?" She glanced at the course, "Mattatti?"

The mercenary nodded, "Yes. If I beat your score will you tell me where I can find this blue eyed sister of yours?"

The corners of the redhead's mouth turned upward slowly, "You think you can beat my score?"

Tarquin shrugged, "Probably."

Vana's eyes widened, "Probably?! Have you ever run a mattatti course before?"

"Full disclosure, no, but..." Tarquin looked over the course. There were high and low bars everywhere, a few sharp turns and plenty of dips and pits to jump over, but it wasn't anything he'd never experienced before. "It doesn't look all that hard. You just avoid the obstacles, cut the damn matts and run the course as quickly as possible, right?"

Vana shook her head, "This game has been around for hundreds of years. Our raptors are bred specifically for this sport and we spend hundreds of hours practicing and honing our skills. I'm trying to figure out if you're openly insulting me or if you're just a genuine idiot." Vana said to him, though it seemed more like she was saying it to herself.

Tarquin crossed his arms, "Look, I'm going to find your sister whether you want me to or not. I have something very important to give her, and it has to come from me. It would be great if you could save me some time and energy and help me out, but it seems like today isn't one of my luckier days. If you're as good as you say you are, then what do you really have to lose?"

Vana grinned widely, "You're insane. I'm not bragging, but I've won three international matches and two of them were on some of the most difficult courses in the world. You saw me ride; I sliced every mat on the course and I didn't knock down any of the bars! You think you have a chance?"

Tarquin chuckled, "I'm not bragging either, but I've been in hundreds of skirmishes, ducked under thousands of spears and halberds, and jumped over thousands more ponds and ruts. I think I can manage."

"What do I get if you lose?" Vana asked with a broad smirk as she looked at him expectantly.

Tarquin frowned for a moment, "I don't have much to put up, but..." his eyes brightened as he reached for his sword and unsheathed it, "My sword; take a look at it."

Vana looked over the blade as he lowered to her and her eyes softened, 'It's beautiful... where did you get it?"

"Zinstar, many years ago. It's my most prized possession, but if it shows you how serious I am, I'm willing to lose it." He said as he replaced it at his back.

Vana contemplated his words for a long moment before she shook her head, "I'll tell you what: if you can beat my score, I'll not only tell you where she is, I'll give you a fucking concert ticket to see her perform. If you lose, I'll take that sword."

Tarquin took a deep breath before he nodded once, "Deal."

Vana smiled widely and shook her head once more, "Alright, we'll get the mats set up for you."

Tarquin felt absolutely ridiculous wearing the rounded jockey helmet, but he conceded to it on the condition that it was part of the rules. He'd temporarily laid aside his sword and all of the pack bags that Axis was carrying, and he waited in front of the start line wiedling a standard mattatti sword. The sword itself was a slender, hand and a half falchion, and it would have had very little application in actual combat. It was lighter than anything Tarquin was used to, but he hefted it several times and felt confident enough within a few seconds.

"So, here are the rules," Ana told him firmly as she stood on the ground beside him. "You have to stay inside the course lines, if you go outside at any moment then you are disqualified. You must remain seated on your mount at all times; no standing or leaning further than what your regular seat allows, that means, your ass has to be planted. There are no other rules as far as running the course goes, but there are rules involving obstacles and mats. An obstacle is not considered cleared unless you are one full stride in front of it. If a bar gets knocked down by either you or your mount, you lose points; this includes your mount's tail hitting the bar after a jump or duck. The mats themselves are not considered cut unless they are completely hewn, and cuts clean down the middle; that's the red line, are worth more points. Any questions?"

Tarquin shook his head as he steadied Axis' reigns in his hand, "I'm ready."

"Very well, you can start when you hear the blocks clap... good luck," Vana smiled as she walked away, clearly still entertained by even the idea of him trying to compete with her.

Tarquin glanced over the course one more time, taking a mental note of every mat and every obstacle. It was going to be challenging to control Axis with one hand on the reigns, but he and the raptor had been riding together for years, and he trusted the reptile with his life, "Let's do it, buddy, show these pompous pure breds what you're made of," he whispered into the raptor's ear before he readied himself.

The blocks clapped and Tarquin surged forward on Axis. The first mat was seconds out of the course, before any obstacle was present, and Tarquin leaned over to the right and lopped it in half cleanly at the red line.

Axis' claws pounded into the dirt track with speed and precision as the two moved as one unit toward the first obstacle. It was a simple jump over a medium high placed bar, and Tarquin reared up on the reins when the time felt right. Axis leapt upwards with a snort, lifting both of them off the ground. Tarquin knew exactly where his mount's tail would be, and it wooshed past the bar on their way down, clearing it by at least a few inches as the two continued down the course.

Two more mats came up, one on the left side and one on the right, only a few short few feet away from each other in forward distance. Tarquin had seen Vana slice both mats, but she'd veered to the left of the first mat to cut it from the right side, before continuing forward towards the next one in a somewhat diagonal trajectory. It had looked very well executed to the mercenary, but also, a bit too textbook. Instead of riding to the left side of the matt, he stayed in the middle and tossed the sword to his left hand. He deftly cut the matt down its center, across the red line, before he tossed the sword up and over to his right hand. He had very little time to wind up, but he was able to over extend his shoulder a bit as he leaned to the right and sliced the next matt clean in two.

The next series of obstacles was more harrowing then the last, and they were lined up one after the other. Tarquin didn't slow Axis as he kept the raptor on a straight course, but instead, sped up slightly.

Against a picket at the end of the course, Vana was watching along with several other of her fellow Mattatti players. There were six all together, and Harold was standing beside the redhead with wide eyes, "Who did he say he was?"